Pope Innocent IV

Pope Innocent IV (1195-7 December 1254), born Sinibaldo Fieschi, was Pope from 1243 to 1254, succeeding Pope Celestine IV and preceding Pope Alexander IV.

Biography
Sinibaldo was made a cardinal in 1227 by Pope Gregory IX, and he was elected as pope in 1243. During his reign, the Mongol Empire was expanding into Europe, so he sent the Franciscan Order and Dominican Order out to convert the Tatars. Innocent was known for initially supporting the burning of the Talmud, the holy book of Judaism, but he was later convinced that Christianity's first popes were tolerant of Jews, so Innocent changed his mind in 1247 and had them censored instead of burnt. The Seventh Crusade also took place from 1248 to 1254 under his watch.